Spring has Sprung ???

Spring has Sprung ???

I thought it had last week but it’s now very cold and supposed to get colder. The many birds in the garden are going through their food fast, it’s hard to keep up with them and the cats can’t be bothered to chase them.

We’re very lucky here so far having escaped the worst of the winter and it’s good weather for sewing!

Caitriona and I were invited to give a talk to Wicklow I.C.A. last week ( Sinead was at a committee meeting). The Ladies were very welcoming and we enjoyed the evening. The topic was left up to us so we brought some log cabin quilts as they are probably the best known. These quilts and individual blocks were mostly different from each other to show how versatile the block is. Some are wonky, some with narrow and wide strips and some scrappy and a variation of colour combinations.

Thank you Wicklow I.C.A.

One of the quilts we showed is a mixture of flannel and cotton which was made last year. We have since received an order of more flannels and think they would go very well with the William Morris fabrics (or any other). I think the mix is good because the colours of the flannels are muted and the cottons give brightness while the overall feeling is soft and warm.

At the moment my favourite block is the log cabin as it is good for ensuring accuracy and goes well with other blocks. I would love to hear what block others prefer.

St. Patricks Day is coming fast ( Christmas has just gone) and we will take part in the parade in Newtown, if anyone would like to join us you are very welcome. It starts at 11am at Gregory’s garage.

Newtown is a place we never expected to be but we love it here, the people are lovely and friendly and there is a real village feel. This comes out at times when our deliveries get lost. A while ago a thread order was late only to be found on top of the fridge in the butcher’s.

Another order was found there and some in the pub, beauty salon, supermarket and barber’s. We at times get deliveries for some of them including a car door for the mechanic behind us. Kyle the mechanic doesn’t know that I thought about drilling holes in it for cross stitch as I have seen done at an exhibition !

I found a little book that my mother had in college in Limerick ( it is dated 1913 and cost 2d ) You might like to know the ‘Kinds of disinfectants (which may be used at home)’

The less poisonous ones include boiling water, sunshine and burning. It says ‘where no more harmless means of disinfecting is at hand burn the clothes’!

Among other things it tells us how to wash corsets and feathers!

That was all written the other day and while I was waiting for the girls to insert pictures look what happened to the weather! I hope you are all inside and keeping warm. We are listening to Christmas fm and Trini has baked cookies while Sinead has lights on her tree in her front garden. They think Santa should come again but I think he’s exhausted.

Keep feeding the birds……The north wind doth blow, and we shall have snow, and what will the robin do then poor thing? He’ll sit on a branch and keep himself warm, and hide his head under his wing poor thing.